Tiger posts photo of himself on crutches, says rehab is 'coming along'

[April 24, 2021]  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Tiger Woods posted a photo of himself on crutches on Friday and said his rehab is "coming along" two months after the golf great suffered severe leg injuries when his car careened off a road near Los Angeles and crashed.

The photo on the Instagram account of the 45-year-old American showed him smiling on a golf course with a black and white dog.

"My course is coming along faster than I am," he said, adding a smiling face emoji.

"But it's nice to have a faithful rehab partner, man's best friend."

Woods sustained compound fractures of his tibia and fibula in his right leg in the early morning crash, which required emergency surgery. He also suffered injuries to his foot and ankle.

Authorities have said that excessive speed was the primary cause of the accident. Woods was not charged with any crime for the one-car wreck.

The injuries have raised concerns over whether Woods will return to competitive golf, with any comeback further complicated by his long history of knee and back problems.

Tiger Woods of the U.S. on the 4th hole during the final round REUTERS/Mike Segar

Orthopedic surgeons interviewed by Reuters after the accident said that while the road to recovery will not be an easy one, it is possible for Woods to return to the sport in about a year.

Woods is tied with Sam Snead on the all-time list for wins on the PGA Tour with 82.

The Florida resident also has 15 major championships to his name, his most recent coming at the Masters in 2019, and needs three more to match the record held by Jack Nicklaus.

(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Daniel Wallis)